Description
A national snack where boiled eggs are cracked finely and simmered long in a liquid of oolong tea (or black tea), star anise, and soy sauce, creating a marble pattern.
Restaurants serving Tea Leaf Egg
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Chicken egg
- Oolong tea leaves
- Soy sauce
- Star anise
- Cassia
- Rock sugar
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Hard-boil chicken eggs.
- Chill the eggs and tap all over with a spoon back (or pot edge) to create a fine network of 'cracks' (do not peel. Flavor and color seep through these cracks to form beautiful patterns).
- Put soy sauce, water, and rock sugar in a pot.
- Toss in Taiwanese Oolong tea (or black tea) leaves and a special Lu Bao (spice pouch) blending 'star anise, cassia, licorice, Sichuan pepper' and boil.
- Drop the cracked, shell-on boiled eggs into the pot, simmer very slowly on low for 2-
- hours.
- Turn off heat, let sit overnight in the liquid to infuse flavor to the core.
- Reheat before eating; peeling reveals a beautiful brown marble crack pattern on the white.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Unique aroma of Star anise and Tea leaves
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Store-bought tea bags and star anise powder
Pairing
Sweet Soy Milk or Taiwan Tea
Trivia
[For Everyone] The true identity of that unique scent when entering a Taiwanese convenience store (7-Eleven/FamilyMart). Bought for ~10 NTD (a few dozen yen), it's the ultimate fast food filling Taiwanese stomachs.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] When peeling, visually enjoy the beautiful 'marble pattern (crack pattern)' dyed into the egg white before biting straight into the fluffy yolk!
Allergen
Egg, Soy, Wheat